Destiny's Folly
by crimsonearth22
Summary: Third Season MMPR AU: When their friend and teammate is mysteriously replaced with her interdimensional twin, the Rangers are faced with a stranger in their midst. Complete Summary Inside.
1. This is Weird, Even for Us

I actually came upon the idea for this fic when I had this really odd dream of going back in time and living my high school years over again. Substitute the PR world for a twist wacky enough to kick you in the mouth, and here we are. Instant fic. But don't worry, this isn't a Mary Sue. I promise. I could never hope to be as cool as this girl is.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this story, and if you don't mind, I'd really appreciate feedback on this. (If only to know if anyone actually read this.) I always welcome constructive criticism, and love to find out if a story actually draws people in or just really bombed. So please, if you read this, take a moment and tell me what you think.

Summary: Third Season MMPR AU. When their friend and teammate is mysteriously replaced with her interdimensional twin, the Rangers are faced with a stranger in their midst. Will they grow to trust this woman so much like their friend and yet so different at the same time? Will she be able to form the bonds with her new friends necessary to keep the Earth safe? Will the Rangers ever find a way to make things right again? And if so, what will that mean to the Ranger who will find his match in the doppelganger?

Spoilers: Everything up to _A Potion Notion_.

Disclaimer: I own Alex DeSantos/Sara Williams, but sadly, other than the plot of this thing, that is all I own. According to the stories I've read, PR actually belongs to Disney now, which is kind of ironic considering how 'kid friendly' they're supposed to be.

Chapter One: This is Weird, Even for Us

Jesus H. Christ, I woke up with the headache from hell. It took me a few minutes to realize that I didn't recognize the ceiling of the room I was in. It was seamed metal and I immediately thought of the Astro MegaShip from Power Rangers. That thought made me chuckle softly as I sat up slowly and glanced around.

It looked like some kind of mini emergency room. There were three beds lined up against the wall, including the one I was lying on near the door. The shelves lining the wall I was facing were filled with various medical supplies, from bandages to bags of saline. Realizing that if I was in here, I must be hurt somehow, I looked down to find my chest wrapped in bandages from just above my belly button to inches from my neck.

No fucking way. My stomach was flatter than a pancake and for the first time, I could feel my hipbones. My current appearance was forgotten however, when I heard the faint sound of someone yelling. I knew it was a yell, because otherwise there was _no_ way I would be able to hear it with the door closed. I swung my legs over the side of the bed and struggled to my feet, nearly screaming out as pain surged through my chest.

Kami damn it, what the _fuck_ happened to me? My curiosity far outweighed my injuries, so I pushed the pain to the back of my mind and stumbled to the door. I studied it carefully, searching for the controls to open it. Seeing only a large button to the right of the door, I shrugged and palmed it. The door slid open immediately and I stepped through it, jumping when I heard it 'whoosh' shut behind me. I looked over my shoulder at it, shrugged, and followed the raised voices. I arrived just in time to see one boy shove another roughly.

"God damn it Tommy, it's one thing to be suicidal, but it's another ball game to get someone else hurt." the instigator said through clenched teeth. "Alex is in there with half a dozen broken ribs because of what _you_ got her into."

The taller boy just stood there as his companion hurled that accusation at him. Why the hell isn't he defending himself? Alex. There wasn't anyone else in the room with me. Could he mean me? If he does, I need to stop this right now before someone gets hurt physically...or emotionally. It's amazing how quickly pain can fade when something's at stake. I was between the boys before I even realized it and glared at the shorter teen.

"That's enough." I snapped. "It's no one's fault but the person that hurt me." I wasn't about to let the other boy off the hook either. I turned to him and poked him in the chest roughly. "And you. You're more than old enough to stand up for yourself." That finished, I looked around the room at the others there. "Now would someone please tell me what the _fuck_ I'm doing here?"

Hmm. I'm guessing this 'Alex' doesn't lose her cool very often. Well too bad, because my nerves are stretched to their limit and I want answers _now_.

"Um, Alex?" a handsome boy of Asian decent asked hesitantly. "Are you all right?"

"Hell no, I'm not all right. My head feels like a marching band is stomping across it, my chest hurts like hell, I have _no_ idea how I got hurt in the first place, let alone ended up here, and I have no _clue_ as to why everyone is calling me Alex. So excuse me if I'm a little bitchy."

My long-winded rant made a whole new pain blossom in my chest and I cradled my ribs gently, tears coming to my eyes. I have to give the boy credit, because although I had just bitched him out, he came over and gently helped me into a wheelchair that had suddenly appeared beside me. I saw his companions exchange a knowing look out of the corner of my eye and narrowed my eyes. Did I miss something here?

A petite brunette girl broke my thoughts. "You don't know who you are?"

"Correction. I know who I am, I just don't know why you think I'm someone else."

"Who are you then?" a blond boy with glasses asked me. I rolled my eyes at his test.

"I'm Sara Elizabeth Williams. I was born, raised, and live in Kerrville, Texas. My mother's name was Catherine Marie Lee Johnson Williams Scott. My father's name is Harold Anthony Williams. I currently live at 1605 Sycamore Street. I dropped out of college after one year. I turned 20 just over a month ago. And I could seriously use a Percodan right now."

I felt a pinprick in my arm and looked over just in time to see a robot withdraw a needle. The medicine worked quickly and the pain faded away to a just discernable twinge.

"Thanks." I smiled gratefully. Something had been eating at me ever since I came upon this group and I finally figured out what it was. "Oh my Kami."

"What is it?" the boy at my side (which I had finally realized was Adam) asked, putting a hand on my shoulder in concern.

I shook my head. "You're going to think I'm crazy. _I_ think I'm crazy."

"Try me." he insisted.

"Don't say I didn't warn you." I paused and took a deep breath. "I just realized something." I started awkwardly.

"What is it?" Kimberly asked gently.

I took another deep breath before I answered. "I just realized that I know who you are and where I am. I-I still don't know who this Alex is." I added quickly. "But...oh fuck, this is nuts."

Rocky came over to kneel in front of me and took my hands in both of his. "You can tell us."

Odd. Although I've always thought Steve Cardenas was cute, and once had a crush on his character, I wasn't nervous around him like I am with other guys. I had a feeling that we never had and never would have a relationship in this dimension.

"Okay, here goes." I looked down at our joined hands while I continued. "I think I'm in another dimension. There's no other way to explain this. This feels too real to be a dream and there's no way in hell I can be in my dimension, because...because you guys and this place are fiction there. Characters on a television show." I laughed wryly. "I know it sounds crazy, and it probably is..."

"But you do know who we are?" Tommy, who had been quiet up until then, asked.

I looked up at him and was surprised to see understanding on his face. Then I realized that they had seen some pretty crazy things in their Ranger careers. Interdimensional travel wouldn't be a stretch to them, considering that their mentor is projecting from another dimension.

I smiled gratefully at him, then blushed. "Yeah. I'm a big fan of the show."

"What's wrong with that?" Adam asked curiously.

I blushed harder. "It's a children's show." I explained.

"So? Being a kid at heart isn't a crime. Look at Rocky." he pointed out.

I had to agree with that. "Point taken." Something occurred to me and my brows furrowed.

"What is it?" Rocky asked.

"This is weird."

"Well I can see how being in another dimension would freak you out." Kim sympathized.

"No, not that. I was just wondering why I was sent to this particular time in this dimension."

"What do you mean?" Adam asked.

"You guys haven't been on the show in years. It isn't even based in Angel Grove anymore."

Kim looked confused. "Why would Rita and Zedd attack another city?"

"Rita and Zedd have long since ceased to be a threat. Master Org is the one trying to take over the world right now."

"Master Org?" Zordon boomed. "How?" he demanded.

"A human scientist discovered the last remnants of Master Org while trying to find Animaria twenty years ago. All that were left were some seeds. He ate them to get revenge on the people he was working with. Now he's trying return the planet to the orgs."

"Then Princess Shayla is awake?"

"Yes. The five animal spirits on the Animarium have chosen five humans to fight the orgs. The leader of the Wild Force Power Rangers is the child of the two scientists killed by the new Master Org."

"We were killed?" Aisha asked.

"Oh no, you are all very much alive."

"Then what happened to us?" Tommy demanded.

"I'm not sure..." I started.

Rocky tugged on my hand and I looked down at him. "Please Sara." he pleaded.

I bit my lip and looked up at Zordon for advice. "Zordon? If I tell them what happened, will it change the future?"

"There's no way to know Sara. Your presence here may have already changed the timeline."

I sighed. I guess it's too late to worry about that now. "Not all of you left by choice." I warned them. "Some of you left under ugly circumstances."

"We understand." Tommy spoke for all of them.

I know he was thinking that he had lost his powers again, but I decided to start with the earliest. "The first one of you to leave was Kimberly. She received the chance of a lifetime and moved to Florida to train with a famous gymnastics coach for the Pan Global Games."

"Oh wow." Kim squealed.

I smiled and continued, "The next was Aisha. Rita's father decided to join in attacking the Earth and he turned back time, turning all of you to children. Zordon sent all but Billy on individual quests for a shard of a very powerful crystal. Aisha, you landed in Africa during a very dangerous plague affecting the animals. When you found the crystal in the possession of one of your relatives, you sent an orphaned girl you met on your journey back in your place, deciding to lend your veterinary skills to the village."

"Cool." Aisha breathed.

Billy raised his hand awkwardly. "Excuse me, but why didn't I go on a quest?"

Talk about a difficult question, I sighed inwardly. "When Master Vile turned you to children, you invented a device that used the Power coins to return you to your correct age. Otherwise you wouldn't be able to use them. The device was a success, but you were the only one to use it before Goldar destroyed the Power coins. You didn't go on the quest because there were only five crystals, and you were needed in the Command Center anyway. I'm sorry."

Billy looked troubled, but he tried to shrug off my concern. "Thank you for telling me the truth."

"It gets worse I'm afraid. Since there were only five crystals, you made the decision to give yours to Tanya, the girl that came back in Aisha's place. You felt that you would be of better use in the Power Chamber full time. This is just an opinion, but I think you threw yourself into inventing to get over the loss of the Power. You invented most of the zords for the new Power, and just a few new weapons. But unfortunately, a side effect of the Regenerator caused you to age rapidly. Cestro, the Blue Aquitian Ranger, invented a device to reverse the aging process, but it only worked for a short time. So the decision was made that you would go back to Aquitar with him and his niece Cestria to get treatment from the Eternal Falls there. It worked and you were young again, but you decided to stay on Aquitar with Cestria. Don't take this the wrong way, but I don't know what the hell you were thinking. I mean, a guy with a fear of fish should _not_ move to a planet full of water."

"Just what I was thinking." he murmured.

"This is just a theory, but I think you were just tired of being in the background while everyone else got to be heroes. I don't think you were very happy just inventing and getting the others out of jams. And don't anyone take this the wrong way, but you all who were still there used him big time." I said bluntly. "You took him for granted and he got sick of it. So he left. I seriously doubt he actually went to Aquitar, but I think he did leave Angel Grove."

"I-I can't believe we did that." Rocky whispered.

"I'm sure you didn't mean to, but when Billy stopped holding the Power, you just didn't know how to talk to him anymore. I guess you didn't want to hurt his feelings or remind him of what he missed. Especially when the Gold Power refused him."

Shit! I didn't mean to bring that up! I clapped a hand over my mouth, wincing.

"The what?" everyone said in unison.

I sighed. "Prince Trey of Triforia, the Gold Ranger, came to Earth to help you against Mondo and Machina. But he left for a short time, and a group of bounty hunters called the Varox shot his ship down, causing it to crash into an ocean on Aquitar. The Aquitian Rangers rescued him, but the atmosphere couldn't sustain him for long. He was sent to Earth and you guys were sent to pick him up. Since he was not supposed to reveal his identity, he split into the three personalities that make up every Triforian. He could not hold the Gold Power while he was divided, so plans were made to transfer the Power to Billy before it was too late. The Power refused him because the explosion that destroyed the Command Center sent a jolt of negative protons into his body. Which was a load of bull, because there's no such thing. I have no idea why Billy told you guys that, or what really happened, but he did."

"So who became the Gold Ranger then?" Kim asked, confused.

Damn, damn, damn! _Kami_, I didn't want to ruin things more than I already had, but it was too late. "Jason." I admitted with a sigh.

"Jason?" everyone shouted.

"Jason." I confirmed tiredly. All of a sudden I wanted to go back to sleep. How do I tell them that Jason nearly died? That Zordon sacrificed himself to destroy all the evil in the universe and it came back anyway?

I guess Adam could see the fatigue in my face, because he shook his head when Tommy opened his mouth to speak. "Sara, you should get some rest. I'm sure your ribs are killing you."

I smiled gratefully at him. "Now that you mention it..."

Adam started to wheel me out of the control room, but when we passed Tommy, I murmured, "Wait." Adam obediently stopped and I reached out to touch Tommy's arm. He looked down at me and I slid my hand down to clutch his hand lightly. I squeezed it gently. "You didn't lose your powers." I assured him quietly. "You stepped down, yes, but only because it was the right time. _You_ were the one who chose your successor."

"Thank you." he whispered.

I nodded quietly and signaled Adam to continue. I was too tired to argue as he helped me into the bed, so I simply smiled gratefully at him and patted the spot next to me on the bed. He obliged me and I rested my head against his shoulder.

"Adam?" I murmured.

"Yeah?"

My voice was hesitant. "Could you...I don't think I can..."

"What is it?" he asked gently, putting an arm around me.

"I don't want to be alone." I whispered finally. "Could you stay here with me tonight? Please?"

"Of course. This place _does_ get kinda creepy when Alpha and Zordon turn in for the night."

I could definitely see that. I yawned and tried to make myself comfortable on the tiny cot without pushing Adam off. Sensing my problem, he gently pulled me in front of him and wrapped his arms loosely around my waist. I moved my head so that my temple rested against his neck and closed my eyes.

"Adam?" I asked sleepily. "What's Alex like?"

"I've known her all my life. She's funny, smart, beautiful, compassionate, strong, and as tough as any boy is. But she became a Ranger much like Tommy did. Under Rita's spell. But we didn't free her in time to keep her from killing anyone. Having a death on her conscience has just about destroyed her. It's like she's a shell of what she was. Deep inside, she's a mess."

"Poor Alex." I murmured, half-asleep. "I hope she's doing all right."

"Me too." I heard him say as I gave in to the Sandman.


	2. The Thunder Rolls

Hey guys, here's the next installment of _Destiny's_ _Folly_. I realize that the tone of this chapter is probably drastically different, but as one of my reviewers pointed out, accepting a situation like this gracefully isn't likely to happen. The Rangers are worried about their friend, they have someone who is invading their lives albeit unintentionally, and there's still the question of what's going to happen when Rita and Zedd inevitably attack.

The reason I developed Chapter One the way I did was because something like this might not sink in right away, and it makes more of an impact on all involved if the tension explodes after a relatively peaceful beginning. This chapter is the first indication that things are not always what they seem…

Disclaimer: Sara/Alex are mine, Power Rangers is Disney's.

Chapter Two: The Thunder Rolls

I woke up from a sound, deep sleep and realized that I had kept Adam captive all night. I blushed lightly as I realized that his arms felt good around me. I sensed someone watching me and looked up to see Kimberly standing in the doorway. She smiled nervously at me and I cocked my head to the side questioningly.

"What is it Kim?" I asked softly, as to not wake Adam up.

The petite girl smiled tightly and moved to sit on the bed next to mine. "Um…can I ask you something?" she asked hesitantly.

"Of course."

"Jason…he's okay right? I mean, he didn't get killed or anything right?"

I winced, but answered her question carefully. "No, he didn't die."

"But he came close to though, didn't he?" her soft question was more of a statement.

"Yes. I won't lie to you Kim, he was very, very sick. The Gold powers weren't meant for a human body. If Tommy and the others hadn't succeeded in reuniting Trey's halves, Jason would have died from them."

Tears filled Kimberly's eyes and she sat there for a moment, speechless. Then she surprised me by exploding.

"How dare you say a thing like that?"

I blinked in surprise and confusion. "Excuse me?"

"Tommy would never have asked Jason to take the powers if he knew that they would hurt him."

I drew back away from her anger instinctively; ending up scrambling over a wide-awake and majorly confused Adam.

"I didn't say he did Kimberly. No one knew that the Gold Ranger powers would be that hard on his system."

"And this Trey just happened to not mention the danger?"

I struggled for words. "Kimberly, nothing like this had ever happened to him before. How was he to know that Earthling physiology wasn't compatible with a Triforian power source? I mean, look at you all. Your powers sure didn't come from Earth, did they? And you're fine."

"And another thing. Why would you imply that Billy lied to us? Billy would never lie, especially to us."

"Kimberly, negative protons are an oxymoron. Protons are defined as positive particles of energy. It's impossible for them to be negative. If they were, they would be electrons." I said as calmly as I could, trying to lower the tension.

"So that automatically means that Billy lied? How do you know they didn't substitute that instead of a more scientific explanation so the children wouldn't be confused? Huh?"

"I-I don't. As I said in the beginning, I don't know if it's actually going to happen or not. You asked me what I knew and I told you. It's not my fault it isn't pleasant."

"Do you get some kind of sick pleasure at telling us things that can't possibly be true? Take what you said about the Pan Globals. Sure, it's a nice fantasy, but I would never abandon my duty to the others and to the Earth to go frolicking across the country like that. Is that the kind of person you think I am?"

I was beginning to lose my temper. "I didn't think you were the kind of person to send your extremely faithful boyfriend a 'Dear John' letter either, but apparently you were." I shot back.

Kimberly froze and for a few small seconds I thought she was going to stop breathing completely. Then she was off that bed and lunging at me. Before I knew what was happening, I felt the sharp sting of her hand across my face and it was my turn to freeze in disbelief.

"Get out." She shrieked as Adam got between us. "You have no right to be here. Get out!"

At that point, getting the hell out of that room was fine by me. I jumped off the bed and fumbled for the clasp of the communicator on my wrist, throwing it on the bed. A quick flick of my wrist turned up a morpher and I threw it down too, then sprinted out of the room. I ran right into Tommy, who was probably running to see what the yelling was about and pushed past him without a word.

"Sara?" he asked in confusion.

"Talk to your girlfriend." I snapped back without stopping. I ran into the control room, ignoring the startled looks of the other three Rangers. "Alpha, teleport me out of here."

Even Alpha sounded startled. "Where do you wish to go?"

"I don't care. Anywhere but here."

"Sara?" Billy questioned. "What's wrong?"

I snorted. "Don't worry about it. Get me out of here Alpha. Send me to the Park, send me to the Youth Center, or send me to the school. Wherever. Just do it."

Rocky started toward me, but I held up a hand. "Don't bother. Track me down when you find me a way home. Until then, I'm going to do everyone a favor and stay gone. Damn it Alpha, will you just do it?"

"I can't."

"Fine. I'll do this the old-fashioned way." I growled, crossing the control room.

"Sara, don't do this." Rocky pleaded. "Rita will jump at the chance to capture you again."

"So what? Kimberly and Adam have Alex's morpher. All I'll be to Rita is a potential spy and she'll see soon enough that none of you trust me any more than you do her." I retorted, pushing past him and sprinting down the hall.

I shoved open the door at the end and raced out into brilliant sunlight. I didn't stop until I was out of breath and only then did I let the tears fall. What a fool I had been to think that they could ever accept me. I should have known not to trust impressions made under the influence of painkillers. The only reason they asked me to tell their future was to give me enough rope to hang myself.

What really hurt was that I had believed them. If the kindest and most friendly Ranger hated me because I looked like her friend and told of things that weren't pleasant, then I could only imagine how Tommy and the others felt. I felt sick, thinking of how foolish I had been to expect them to handle a total stranger in their midst with a smile and a wave.

It was clear that Kimberly wanted nothing to do with me. After she told the others about our conversation, I doubted the others would either. I looked around at my surroundings and let out a half laugh-half sob at the pure irony of it. There was nothing but sand, rocks, and scarce brush as far as I could see. I shivered despite the midday heat. I could be in the middle of a mall and it would be the same. The only people I knew in this world didn't want anything to do with me. What was I going to do now?

* * *

(Adam's POV)

What the hell just happened? I'd never seen Kimberly so angry. And I sure as hell had never expected her to slap someone. Tommy looked just as confused as I felt as he skidded into the room.

"What happened? Sara looked upset."

"Good." The Pink Ranger said coldly before storming out.

Only having seen what I had kept my jaw from joining Tommy's on the floor. It wasn't like Kimberly to be so vindictive.

"What happened?" Tommy repeated, looking to me for answers.

"You're asking me? One minute I was blissfully asleep, and the next Sara had scrambled over me to get away from Kimberly, who was yelling at her for accusing you of asking Jason to take the Gold Ranger powers knowing that they would end up almost killing him."

Tommy frowned. "Sara said that?"

"I don't know if she did originally, but her answer was that she didn't. That no one knew that the powers were going to affect him like that. Kim returned with why Trey didn't tell you and Sara said that Trey hadn't known either, assuming that since our powers didn't harm us, there was no danger. Then Kimberly attacked her for implying that Billy lied about why he couldn't take the Gold Powers."

My friend and leader looked even more confused and concerned. "But if he mentioned negative protons, then he did. Even I know that there's no such thing."

"That's what Sara said. And Kimberly shot back with how she could be so sure that the writers of the show didn't originally have a more logical explanation but decided to drop that for the simple one involving negative protons knowing that the children wouldn't be able to tell the difference. Sara defended herself by saying that we had asked her for what she knew and she had told us. That it wasn't her fault it turned out that way. Then Kim accused her of making up everything she told us for our futures. Accused her of making it seem that she didn't care about her duty as a Ranger. Sara must have lost her temper then, because she snapped back that she didn't think Kim was the kind of person to send her boyfriend a Dear John letter either, but apparently she was. Then Kim slapped her and yelled for her to get out. You know the rest."

Tommy ran a hand through his long hair. "Oh man. No wonder Sara looked as if she had been punched in the gut. You don't have any idea what set Kim off?"

I shrugged. "I assume it had to have been the news that Jason nearly died. Add that to the fact that her best friend is now an entire dimension away, and I'm not surprised that she lost it. I just can't believe she was that vindictive. That isn't Kimberly."

Tommy nodded with a grim look. "Me neither. The only time I've ever seen her act that cold was during Club Week and Zedd replaced one of her cactus plants with one of his creations. It pricked her and caused her to be extremely jealous of Trini, overreacting to the smallest perceived insult. I thought for a few moments that their friendship was going to be destroyed forever."

I frowned thoughtfully. "Do you think something like that could have happened again?"

"I don't know man. I hope so. Sara…when she stopped just to tell me the one thing I needed to hear the most…she didn't have to do that. Why would she reassure me about my powers and lie about the rest of it? It doesn't make sense."

"I don't think she lied either. If she was dishonest at all, it was when she tried to hide how terrified she was from me. I could tell that her pride smarted from having to admit that she didn't want to be alone here."

We both jumped when we heard yelling coming from the control room and exchanged a worried glance before racing out to investigate. I stopped short when I saw Rocky's face, a shiver running down my spine. I had never seen his eyes so cold.

"What's going on?" Tommy demanded, stepping between his girlfriend and the Red Ranger.

"Sara's gone, that's what's going on." Rocky growled.

I frowned. "What do you mean gone?"

I had figured that she just needed time to calm down and hid herself somewhere in the Command Center.

"She came running in here and asked Alpha to teleport her out of here." Billy said quietly. "When he refused, she left by the side entrance."

I frowned in concern. "She's out in the desert alone?"

Aisha nodded grimly. "We tried going after her, but by the time we got to the door she was out of sight. We came back in here to try to locate her in the computer, but Kim told us not to bother."

I winced. No wonder Rocky looked ready to kill. Big brother instincts died hard. "Okay, everyone just chill for a moment. Alpha, can you locate Sara?"

"I can try Adam, but without her power coin…"

"_Alex's_ power coin." Kimberly snapped.

Alpha revised his response. "Without a power coin, the computers may not be able to get a lock on her as quickly."

"Try. Uncomfortable situation or not, she could either die out there or get captured by Rita by mistake."

"She doesn't care. According to her, she isn't even worth the effort since we wouldn't trust her enough to let her get close." Rocky said with a glare to Kimberly.

She scowled, crossing her arms over her chest. "Why should she? She knows her little plan has failed."

Billy's jaw actually dropped. "Kimberly, you have to see the lack of logic in what you're saying. We all know that Alex was here when she fell asleep in the MedBay. There is no possible way Rita could kidnap Alex from this Command Center and replace her with one of her lackeys without us knowing."

"What is going on with you Kim?" Aisha asked gently. "Why would you accuse Sara of something like that?"

Kim turned away without a word, but not before I saw a flash of what looked suspiciously like guilt in her eyes. She hadn't really believed what she said either. She was just angry and hurt and wanted to lash out at someone. Tommy looked at his girlfriend thoughtfully.

"She never accused me of intentionally getting Jason hurt, did she?" he stated quietly.

She stiffened. "She implied that you were the one who asked him to take the powers."

"But she didn't say it was my fault, did she?" Tommy persisted.

"No." Kim admitted grudgingly.

It was my turn. "She didn't accuse Billy of lying, did she? All she said was that negative protons was a scientific impossibility."

"Same thing."

"But she didn't mean anything by it, did she?"

"I guess not."

Tommy finished. "Kim, did Sara actually say that you abandoned your duty as a Ranger?"

"Okay, enough. I get it. I overreacted." Kim snapped.

"Kimberly, why are you so angry?" Rocky asked quietly.

"She lied."

"But you just admitted…"

"Not about that." She interrupted in annoyance. "About Jason barely surviving. It's not possible. Our powers would never turn on us like that."

Tommy glanced at me and raised an eyebrow. I smirked a little. So I had been right. Jason's illness had been what set her off.

"What did she say about your powers Rangers?"

We all jumped a little. Zordon had been silent through the entire situation. "She said that Trey's powers weren't compatible with Earthling physiology." I answered. "Apparently Jason got so sick that he nearly died."

Zordon frowned in concern. "I see. It is entirely possible that a power source could be safe only for the race of the planet who created it."

"Then why don't our powers hurt us?" Kim demanded.

"Eltarian and Earthling physiology are very similar. If I remember correctly, Sara told us that Prince Trey was from Triforia. Triforians have a vastly different physiology, hence the three halves. If Trey had not had cause to transfer his powers before, it's possible that he could not have known that they would put that kind of strain on Jason's body."

Tommy reached out slowly to take his girlfriend into his arms gently. "Kim, I know you don't want to think of something happening to Jason, especially something like a power source failing, but that isn't Sara's fault. She only told us what she knew. It doesn't mean that it's going to happen."

Kimberly sighed. "I know that. I know it's not her fault. I know she couldn't help changing places with Alex. But I can't help it. I want Alex back. And as long as _she's_ here, Alex isn't going to come back."

"But honey, you can't punish her for something she can't help." Aisha pointed out gently.

She groaned. "I know. I acted like a bitch, didn't I?"

"Sort of." Billy said timidly.

"But I think it was mostly stress." I offered. "I'm sure she'd understand if you explained everything."

Kim smiled a small smile. "We have to find her first. If someone did that to _me_, I know I'd hide somewhere no one could find me until my wounds healed."

Fate was not on our side today. The alarms blared loudly, warning us of alien activity. Billy crossed over to the computers and typed a minute, then looked up with a grim face.

"We've found her. Unfortunately, so has Rita and Zedd."

===============

I realize that I may have made Kimberly quite OOC, but my theory is that with the right catalyst, even the nicest, friendliest, sweetest person in the world can lose it on someone. You might remember the episode _Bloom of Doom_, which had Kimberly acting like a total bitch under a spell from Zedd. My idea is that like it or not, she may have the ability to be vindictive and cold deep inside and that Zedd's spell only unleashed it on her friends.

We see further evidence in _There's No Business Like Snow Business_, when she sent the infamous Letter to break up with Tommy. It just didn't seem like something the Kimberly they've always cultivated would do. I feel that they could have developed her character more, and that this small pattern suggests that she isn't the perfect goddess they nearly always portrayed her to be, but a human being like everyone else--mistakes, irrationality, and all.


	3. Questions and Guests

Hey guys, I'm back with the newest installment of _Destiny's Folly_. I realize that it's been almost a week since I posted the last chapter, but I didn't want to post this one until I was completely satisfied with it. Those of you who may question the title of this story are going to get the first glimpse of what it means in this chapter. I realize that I may not exactly be covering new territory, but I hope that I've come up with an idea that puts a fresh spin on it.

To Ryan: I'm glad you still like this story. I try not to let myself become someone who writes for reviews, but it's always nice to hear nice things said about your work. I don't think _anyone_ who saw _There's No Business like Snow Business_ expected a bombshell like that, especially the way she did it. I understand that it would have gotten trickier and trickier to maintain the Tommy-Kim relationship since AJ apparently wasn't interested in reprising her character (with the exception of the Turbo movie), but I had kind of expected one last T/K moment before it ended forever. And I did feel that they passed up a perfect opportunity in the Turbo movie to address the Letter once and for all and finally set fans' minds to rest. Anyway, back to your review. Really hurting Sara would totally throw my story off track, so it's safe to assume that she's going to be just fine. I'm not ruling out a little drama, but for the time being Sara most likely will come out of whatever scrapes she gets into in one piece.

To cmar: I'm glad to hear that I've gotten a little bit better at keeping Sara from being a Mary-Sue. I realize that some of the things I see as flaws might not necessarily mean that everyone else would. That's why to be honest, I'm glad I have a reviewer who isn't afraid to tell me that my character(s) need work. I agree that Kim might have reacted a little violently, but Sara _did_ pretty much just tell her that she was a cold-hearted bitch. Even the sweetest person isn't going to just take that. As for changing history… *smirk* Just wait and see. As I said in my author's notes, it won't be long now before my plot takes shape.

Disclaimer: Sara/Alex is mine, PR is not.

Chapter Three: Questions and Guests

I sighed and got up from the boulder I had been sitting on. Now that I had calmed down some, I realized that I was probably being a little immature and paranoid. So Kimberly blew up at me. Thinking back on it, I _had_ just told her that one of her oldest friends and teammates nearly died. I squirmed with the uncomfortable knowledge that I probably wouldn't have taken it well either. So she had let off some steam ranting about the first things that came to mind. I had no right to use a mistake she hadn't even made yet against her in anger.

I bit my lip and began walking back toward the Command Center. It was time to face the music. I stopped in my tracks when I heard a sound that seemed strange in my present surroundings. It almost sounded like…feathers rustling. I whirled around just in time to be body-slammed to the ground by a six-foot wall of feathers.

I groaned. "Anyone ever tell you guys that you have a lousy sense of timing?" I snarled, shoving the tenga off me and scrambling to my feet.

"What's the matter Ranger? Missing your wings?"

I blinked. "Oh-kay, I'm not even going to ask. Back off buzzard." I snapped, rearing back and decking another tenga.

"Shouldn't you be morphing by now?"

I grunted as I grabbed a tenga and swung him around once before letting go, sending him crashing into one of his brethren. "I would if I could banana breath."

Goldar looked confused then sneered. "Aw, did those goodie-good Rangers finally decide that you were too evil for their squeaky clean image?"

I opened my mouth to retort but was cut off by another voice. "You wish Goldar."

I turned around in surprise to see six brightly-colored forms behind me. Before I could speak, the pink one was in front of me, pressing an object into my hands.

"This belongs to you."

I looked down in surprise to find Alex's morpher in my hands, but before I could protest, I was body-slammed again from behind, sending me flying forward to land flat on my face. I growled and pushed myself to my feet, whirling around to face my attacker.

"Ninja Ranger Power now!" I called, letting the Power guide my arms through the call.

It was an odd feeling, transforming into a ninja. The swaths of fabric were lighter than my jeans, but I knew they had to be immensely strong with what the Rangers generally went through fighting tengas. And I knew intellectually that my entire head was covered except for holes in the mask for my eyes, but my peripheral vision wasn't impaired at all. I wondered briefly how that worked but was forced to turn my attention on the fight before me as I was kicked right in the chest by a tenga.

I twisted my body around in the air and landed on my hands, springing off to flip over to my feet. Then I looked down at my hands in surprise and shook my head wryly. That was going to take some getting used to. I looked up and sidestepped a tenga's lunge, grabbing him by the arm and kneeing him in the chest before letting him drop to the ground. The rest of the fight was a blur of tenga feathers, brightly-colored fabric, and intermittent pain as I was either kicked, punched, slammed into the ground, or slammed against a rock.

Needless to say, I didn't even want to _think_ about the pain that I would have been in if I hadn't morphed. Anyway, eventually the tengas got tired of being kicked around (by the others anyway) and flew the coop, Goldar following close behind after a few more minutes of trading insults with Tommy. If I had thought facing tengas powerless was a nerve-wracking experience, I clearly hadn't counted on turning around to find myself standing alone across what seemed like an invisible line from the six of my 'teammates'.

Tommy reached up silently and yanked off his uniform, just like they did on the show, the movement apparently having the same effect on the others. I took a deep breath and did the same, feeling only a slight change. I wasn't, however, expecting to feel a bolt of pain so intense that I couldn't help but double over from it.

"Sara?" I heard Kimberly ask tentatively.

"I…" my voice cut into a cry as another bolt of pain attacked me. "What's happening to me?"

Gentle hands took my arms and tugged them away from my middle. "Where does it hurt?" Billy asked me gently.

I had to wait out a fresh wave of pain before I could answer him. "My…my stomach. Does this always happen when you gain powers?" I gasped.

"I-I'm afraid I've never seen this happen before." Billy answered helplessly.

"I have." Tommy said grimly. "When I lost the Green Ranger powers."

Everyone gasped. "But how could she lose the Silver powers?" Rocky asked. "She's just like Alex."

"I don't know man. We'd better get her to Zordon." Tommy answered.

Billy nodded and put one of my arms around his neck, lifting me to my feet. I smiled tightly at him and gritted my teeth against the pain I still felt. Then I felt a slight buzz against my skin and I looked up to find myself back in the Command Center.

"Rangers, what has happened?" Zordon asked.

Tommy stepped forward. "Something strange happened when Sara demorphed. It sounds like what happened to me when I lost the Green Ranger powers the last time Zordon."

"I feel like I'm being ripped apart from the inside." I said through clenched teeth.

"How can this be Zordon? Alex never had a problem with her powers before. Why is Sara having trouble now?" Adam asked.

"I do not know Adam. I have never heard of an interdimensional double using a Ranger's powers before. Sara, are you certain this did not happen in your dimension?"

I shook my head, yelping as I felt a needle prick my arm. "The last time I saw something like this was when a member of a later Ranger team had a magical tattoo placed on his back. Every time he morphed, the snake would move up his back until it finally reached his neck and killed him. Or that was the plan anyway. His teammates managed to destroy it just in the nick of time. Come to think of it, he was a metallic Ranger too." I mused, feeling the pain fade slowly as I spoke.

"That had to have sucked." Rocky commented.

"Y'know, Silver Rangers seem to always end up having trouble with their powers." I reflected thoughtfully. "Zhane had to have his recharged because they kept shorting out as an effect of his time in cryosleep. Ryan had the homicidal tattoo. And Merrick…well…Merrick ended up being entombed for 3,000 years because of a mask he was forced to use. It just doesn't pay to be a metallic Ranger sometimes."

"But Alex never had trouble?" Aisha asked in confusion.

"She couldn't." I answered absently. "The first Silver Ranger in my world was Zhane and he came after you guys retired. There's never been a Ranger named Alex period. Unless you count the original Red Time Force Ranger, but since he died before that incarnation started, I don't think he counts." I rambled, then shook my head, trying to clear it. "Sorry, it must be the painkillers."

Rocky looked surprised. "Alex doesn't even exist in your world?"

I shrugged. "They didn't really get into your family members, so she could for all I know. But not as a Ranger. To be honest, I'm surprised you guys have seven Rangers period. I always thought six was a full team. But hey, it's television. I'm sure they changed a lot of things."

Tommy looked at me a little strangely, then shook his head. "Maybe we should ask Ninjor. If anyone would know, it would be him."

"You rang?" came the high voice of the Morphin' Master in question.

I blinked. "Okay, I think there was just a _little_ too much painkiller in that syringe."

Aisha laughed. "No honey, that was Ninjor. He does that sometimes. You get used to it."

I glanced around and finally saw the blue-armored form. "Oh, okay."

Ninjor looked at me and I could sense his displeasure even though he had no expression to read. "Who is this? This is not my pupil."

I smiled tiredly. "Nailed it right on the head. My name is Sara. Excuse the giddiness, it's just an effect of the massive painkillers freezing my nerves so I don't have to actually _feel_ my body ripping itself apart."

"Oh dear. You didn't try to use Alex's powers did you?"

I exchanged a glance with everyone. "I'm sensing that it was a bad thing."

"Oh my. It's no wonder you're having trouble. My power coins were never meant to be used by someone other than who they were created for. They are linked with the physical body of the Ranger who wields them."

My mouth dropped open and I groaned, smacking a hand over my face. "Christ."

"What is it?" Billy asked.

"I forgot all about that." I exclaimed. "The only reason Kim was able to pass on her coin was because it had been severed from her previously due to it being stolen by one of Rita's lackeys. She didn't even get it back until a couple of days before she passed it on."

"So what you're saying is that we have to sever Alex's link to her coin for you to be able to use it?" Kim frowned.

Ninjor shook his head. "Sara is not a Raven, nor a Silver personality."

Tommy looked confused. "Then can't you create her a new coin?"

Ninjor studied me for a long moment, then shook his head again. "I'm sorry Rangers, but I cannot."

"Why not?" Aisha asked.

"Because you already have a Black Ranger on your team."

I exchanged a startled glance with Adam. "I'm a Black personality?"

"Yes. I'm afraid that the only way I can help is by easing Sara's pain. You must give up the Raven coin."

I nodded and twisted my wrist, handing the morpher to Tommy. "I hate to say it, but if Kimberly had a hard time with her coin being held on the moon, Alex must be in terrible shape having it be a dimension away." I pointed out quietly.

Ninjor nodded. "She is right Rangers. I'm afraid I have no choice but to sever her link to her coin."

The other Rangers exchanged a troubled look, but Tommy nodded. "If there's no other alternative. We have to think about what's best for Alex."

I looked around at all of the saddened faces and felt my heart sink. I've been nothing but trouble for them. Why have the Fates done this to them? Don't they have enough to deal with without having a total stranger mess everything up for them?

"Sara?" Adam asked gently.

I forced a grim smile. "Don't mind me. I guess I'm finally starting to come down." I lied.

"I'm sorry you had to give up your coin." Kimberly said tentatively.

I shook my head with a smile I didn't feel. "No, it's better this way anyway. I mean, I didn't earn it. Alex did. Besides, I'm pretty much a liability to you guys. Y'know, because I would have gotten my ass royally kicked if you guys hadn't shown up."

"Ah, you didn't do all _that_ bad." Rocky said. "You held your own pretty well for someone without powers."

I smirked wryly. "I got body-slammed to the ground twice. Um, Kimberly…I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for saying what I did about that letter. I shouldn't have done that."

The beautiful Pink Ranger chewed on her lip for a few seconds then sighed deeply. "Don't apologize. I mean, I was looking for a fight. I shouldn't have been surprised when I got one. To be honest, I wasn't really mad at you. I was just blowing off some steam. I just miss Alex, and when you told me about Jason I just kind of lost it."

I smiled tentatively. "I kind of figured that was what happened when I was calm enough to think straight. I mean, I probably wouldn't have taken it well either. I just want you guys to know that I'll help you any way I can in making things right again."

Aisha reached out to touch my arm gently. "You're just as much a victim here. It must be frightening, being in a strange place, not having the identity you've always known…"

I smirked humorlessly and changed the subject. "Anyone have any ideas on what to tell to Alex's family?" I asked quietly.

Rocky sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Good question. Mama is like Rafiki from _The Lion King_. She knows all, hears all, and sees all. Nothing gets past her."

I blinked. "So she knows you're a Ranger then?"

He opened his mouth then closed it again with a thoughtful look. "I never thought about that. If she does, she's never said anything about it. Which isn't like Mama. All you have to do is say the word 'ouch' and she goes into protective mother mode."

"Speaking of, how on Earth does everyone just overlook you guys anyway?" I questioned.

"Perception alteration. If they aren't directly told who we are, our powers make it so our behavior doesn't send up any red flags." Billy explained.

Tommy nodded. "Back to a cover story, how are you at acting?"

I blinked a few times. "I-I've never tried to act before. Are you suggesting that I pose as Alex? Doesn't that seem a little…wrong to you? I mean, she's not a character in some play. She's a real live human being."

"I don't like the idea either Sara, but we can't just let Rocky's mother think her daughter is missing." Tommy pointed out.

"But…she's her _mother_. She'll know something's wrong. I mean, I can only imagine how worried she was when Alex was under Rita's control."

Rocky looked sad. "Mama's been under a lot of stress since Papa died. With eight small children to look after, it's easy for the older kids to slip through the cracks. By the time Mama noticed what was going on with Alex, she had already been freed from Rita's spell."

I resisted the urge to laugh. The more things changed, the more they stayed the same. "If there's no other alternative, I'll try. I mean, I don't want to get you guys into a tighter spot than I already have. But I don't think it can be done for very long. Even if no one in Angel Grove notices something different, Rita and Zedd are going to know something's up when the Silver Ranger doesn't show up anymore."

Zordon sighed. "Unfortunately, Sara is correct. Once our enemies discover that the Silver Ranger is powerless, they will stop at nothing to capture her for revenge."

"And, no offense Sara, but you aren't going to be able to hold them off for very long." Kimberly pointed out.

I nodded. "I got lucky today. They weren't expecting me to fight back so crudely. And you guys showed up before they could overpower me. But that's not gonna work for long."

Rocky shrugged. "So we'll teach you how to fight."

I smiled slightly. "I have no doubt about that Rocky, but that's going to take time. You guys can't exactly baby-sit me until I know how to defend myself. And even then, there's only so long that I could hold off tengas and the Terrible Twosome without powers. Sooner or later, the law of probability is going to come into effect."

Tommy sighed. "She's right. There may be six of us, but we won't be able to have someone with her at all times. The only thing I can think of is keeping her in the Command Center until we find a way to switch them back."

Aisha sighed too. "What we need is a way to turn one day into several."

I looked over at her and sighed thoughtfully. She summed it up pretty well.

"Zordon, is there such a planet as Phaedos?" 

The Morphin' Master blinked. I didn't blame him--I was as surprised as he was by my question. I hadn't even been thinking about the alternate storyline. "There are many who are aware of the sanctuary of the Great Power. Why do you ask?"

I shrugged in bewilderment. "I-I don't know. It just came out. I guess all this talking about fighting and powers reminded me of Dulcea."

"Who's Dulcea?" Adam asked curiously.

"The Master Warrior of the planet Phaedos." I answered.

"How do you know of Dulcea Sara?" Zordon asked.

"It was one of the ways the Rangers got the Ninja powers." I answered.

Everyone looked at me in surprise, but it was Billy who said what everyone else thought. "_One_ of the ways?"

I shrugged. "They did a feature movie, but didn't tie it in with the show. So you ended up getting the Ninja power two ways. The way you guys apparently got it, with Rito coming to town and when a sliceable named Ivan Ooze was released from his hyperlink chamber. He came back for revenge on Zordon, destroyed the Command Center, and you guys went in search of the myth of the Great Power on Phaedos. Same animal spirits, same zords, simply called Ninjetti instead of Ninja."

"So in other words, the dimension they created split around the time Rito came to town?" Billy asked.

I nodded. "One way was the movie timeline, which ended when the movie ended. The other was the show timeline, which still goes on. But they seemed to learn their lesson. The second feature was treated as one long episode."

"So we had two movies? Cool." Kimberly said.

"Well…some of you did. Aisha had already decided to stay in Africa when it was made and Billy had already supposedly left for Aquitar. And um…Rocky pretty much missed out on everything when he hurt his back training for a charity martial arts tournament."

Rocky frowned. "Aw man…"

Tommy looked confused. "Didn't Kim leave for Florida _before_ Aisha stayed in Africa?"

I nodded, wincing slightly. "She did, but ended up getting captured along with Jason when they came back to surprise everyone."

"So why would talking about fighting remind you of Dulcea?" Adam asked.

I could have kissed him for changing the subject. Talking about what happened on Muiranthias was _not_ something I wanted to do.

"Well because she had Tommy flat on his back within like a second." I answered with a smirk. "Any woman with skills like that is highly memorable."

Tommy frowned. "That's exaggerating a little don't you think?"

I turned my smirk on him. "Not quite. She has a mean slice with that staff of hers."

"Why do I get the feeling there's something more going on here than you're telling us Zordon?" Rocky asked.

I looked up and recognized the sage being's expression for what Rocky had--thoughtful distraction. "I agree with Rocky. For starters, why did I even bring up Phaedos? I wasn't even thinking about that storyline. I mean, yeah, Dulcea is an incredible warrior, but going from talking about my situation to talking about Phaedos is a leap of randomness even for me."

Before the Rangers' mentor could answer, a gust of wind flew through the Command Center, ruffling everyone's hair and clothes and putting the Rangers on defense immediately. I blinked in surprise when I was pulled close to a warm body with a protective arm around my waist and looked over to see Adam standing beside me with a wary look on his features. I felt my face heat and turned my head away, hoping my reaction wasn't noticed.

Standing in front of the viewing globe was a sleek black panther, watching everyone with glowing green eyes before settling the unsettling orbs on me. _Come cub. It is time for your position in this fight to be revealed._

I was confused. "What do you mean? What position?"

Adam stiffened beside me. "Sara? Who are you talking to?"

I glanced at him in bewilderment. Didn't he hear him?

__

He cannot hear nor see me cub. None of them can. I am your spirit guide and yours alone. Speak to me with your thoughts, not your voice.

I was still puzzled, but did so timidly. _Okay, so what did you mean by position? And what fight are you talking about?_

The fight between Good and Evil of course young one. You were brought here for a reason. It is time for the mistakes dealt by Fate to be corrected. Come with me and all will be revealed.

Come where?

Phaedos. Your destiny calls. Do not keep it waiting young one, or know failure to protect those you love.

I took a breath and stepped forward to stand next to the panther, turning to face my newfound companions. "I have to go."

Adam frowned, stepping forward. "Go where?"

"Phaedos. The answers I need are there."

Rocky looked worried. "Sara, what's going on? What did you see?"

I smiled gently at him. "Don't worry Rocky. I have a feeling I'm in good hands."

Tommy shook his head. "You can't just go off to some planet Sara. It's too dangerous."

I looked at him and let my gaze sharpen. "I'm not under your leadership Tommy. You can't tell me what I can and cannot do. The sooner I find out why I'm here, the sooner I can help you get Alex back."

Kimberly stepped forward. "You can't go alone." She protested. "What if Rita or Zedd find you?"

"She's not going alone. I'm coming with her."

I joined everyone else in giving Adam a surprised look at his firm declaration. "Adam…"

__

If the frog wishes to accompany you, so be it. Time is of the essence and the precious minutes wasted trying to discourage him are not worth it. However, he will be merely an observer of your trials. He cannot help you in any way.

I looked down to give my guide a skeptical look, but nodded. "There's no way to change your mind?" I asked, looking up at Adam.

He shook his head. "Tommy and Kim are right. It's too dangerous for you to go alone."

I sighed. "I know I'm going to regret this." I muttered, holding out my hand. The moment our hands met, another gust of wind blew through the Command Center and we were gone.

====================

Finally, some of the questions surrounding Sara's arrival are about to be answered. What trials does the planet Phaedos have in store for the newest Black personality? And what is the secret behind Adam's determination to keep her safe? Those answers and more will be revealed in the next chapter of _Destiny's Folly_. The fun is only beginning…


	4. Explanations and Stormy Emotions

Hey guys, I apologize in advance for the long author's note and acknowledgments. I guess I'm just in a chatterbox mood. I think it's safe to say that this chapter has been a bit of a bugger as an old friend of mine would say. That's in part to a little bit of writer's block when it comes to this story and in part because I was bitten by the _Ninja Storm_ bug and generated about ten stories about the Blue Bay crew. That's what I get for having such a soft spot for cute _Power_ _Rangers_ guys I guess. Anyway, I apologize for the two month wait. The reviews for this story have spurred me to think just a little bit harder about where I want this story to go and as what happens frequently with my other stories that I started a few years ago, I ended up going in a direction I hadn't originally planned to go in. (Thanks a lot cmar for wanting this thing to actually have a plot :p) But all joking aside, it's people like you that make me want to be really good at what I do, so this chapter is dedicated to you.

To Ryan: I don't always review either, so I know what you mean by feeling compelled to review some stories. But I'm so very glad you like this story enough to jot down a few comments :) I'm sorry for taking so long to get this chapter out even when you asked me to be a little bit quicker about it, but like I said, writer's block and plot bunnies tend to knock me out occasionally. I'll try not to be so long about getting Chapter Five out to you.

To cmar: You wouldn't be my favorite reviewer and most valued critic if you didn't manage to find something wrong with my work. Lol. I'm glad you thought the fight scene was good. I tend to be very wary of writing out fight scenes, because it's difficult to write a good fight scene without getting repetitive. (There's only so many ways to write a punch, kick, etc.) If I ever decide to do a major-level story, I might see if I can find someone who can write fights excellently but isn't very confident about romance and join forces with them to try to make a real kick-ass fic. Anyway, you'd be right about Sara and Adam being the focus of the story for awhile. I'm considering doing a chapter or two on Rocky and Aisha's reaction to their best friend and Red's sister being on a planet they'd never heard of, and maybe the others' thoughts on the whole Alex/Sara situation as well. I'd appreciate your opinion on whether or not I'd be a good idea before I try anything like that though. As for the explanation of the Phaedos/Ninja power thing, I tend to do that a lot, though I hope it hasn't been all that often in this fic.

To mythic-lionheart: Welcome to the tiny band of people who seem to like this story. Lol. A Kat fan huh? I used to totally envy her accent, because it seemed so exotic and I've got the Texas twang (or so I'm told). I'll admit that the series _has_ gotten a bit ridiculously long and I'm really too old to be watching it, but the guys are always so damn cute. I usually find at least one in each incarnation that I wish did work that was a little less embarrassing to admit to watching. (And unfortunately for me, and the people waiting for this chapter, there are two in _Ninja Storm_.) But anyway, Kat might pop up later on in this, but I can pretty much tell you that the entire Kim/Tommy/Kat ordeal isn't going to happen in this story. The Kim-Tommy romance was so involved and lasted for so long in the series that thinking that Tommy would just turn around and date Katherine so soon after Kimberly dumping him just isn't jiving with me. I think they did a poor job of resolving the Kimberly issue. But that's me.

Disclaimer: I own Alex/Sara and the general plot of this story, but everything you recognize is Saban/Disney's.

Chapter Five: Explanations and Stormy Emotions

I opened my eyes when the wind died down again to find myself standing in the middle of the Ninjetti Temple, still holding Adam's hand. I glanced around and noted with interest that while some aspects of my surroundings were the same as the movie set, there were some that were completely different.

"Welcome Black Ranger."

We both spun around and I had to swallow a laugh when I realized that I had responded without even thinking about it. Dulcea smiled at our reaction and extended her hand to us.

"My apologies. It is uncommon for two of the same color to be traveling together. Welcome, both of you, to Phaedos. I have been expecting you young panther."

Adam looked down at me. "Is this Dulcea?"

I nodded with a smile. "I had a feeling you were. My guide said that the answers I needed were here?"

Dulcea nodded. "Yes. Please, make yourselves comfortable. What I have to tell you is somewhat complicated."

Adam gave me a skeptical glance but I just smiled again and took his arm, guiding him over to the steps. "Adam, relax. Dulcea is not our enemy."

"Who is this guide you're talking about?"

"Remember when you asked me who I was talking to earlier? My spirit guide, the panther, showed himself to me. It must have been him who directed my thoughts to Dulcea and Phaedos."

Dulcea nodded. "The sacred animal spirits are not beyond revealing themselves in order to guide their charges onto the right path. It is time for your destiny to be revealed young one."

I didn't know about Adam, but I felt like this was all one tricked-out dream instead of reality. I didn't know what I had expected to come out of her mouth, but temporal healer was not it.

"Let me get this straight." I said hoarsely, the cleared my throat. "Because I just happened to keep track of Power Ranger history, _I'm_ the only person who can fix the mess the Fates have made?"

Dulcea shook her head, reaching out to place a hand on my shoulder. "You were not randomly chosen Sara. This was to be long before you were born. The prophecy I speak of has been known for thousands of years."

I stood up abruptly. "Why me? Why am _I_ the one who has to fuck around with the fate of a dimension I don't even belong in? Isn't it enough that I've taken their friend from them? Isn't it enough that I've invaded their lives? Do I have to purposely let them get hurt too?"

"Destiny…" she began.

"Screw destiny." I spat, taking off.

I made it down the last few steps to the beach before I was caught in strong arms and held tight. I fought against the hold fiercely.

"Let go of me Adam." I warned.

"Just calm down Sara."

I grunted and finally managed to free myself, whirling around and shoving him for good measure. "Goddamn it, I don't _want_ to calm down." I growled at him. "I'm so goddamn sick of this always happening to me. I just want to be normal. All I ever wanted from life was a few true friends and maybe a decent guy. But this shit happens. All of you are already wary of me because I took Alex away from you. All I'll ever be to any of you is the girl who isn't her. And now I'm responsible for keeping your dimension from imploding and I can just see the reactions now. 'She can't even hold a fucking power. How is she going to keep from screwing this up?' Well here's news for you: I wouldn't have chosen me either."

I spun and started walking again until I was caught again a few feet away, this time by the arm. "Is this about what happened with Kimberly?"

I laughed humorlessly. "I'm not naive Adam. If the kindest one of you doesn't want me around, that pretty much speaks for the rest of you." I pointed out as I pulled away.

"That's not true."

"Don't patronize me Adam. Give me that much."

He caught my arm again, turning me around. "Sara, stop. Okay? Kim didn't mean half of what she said. She was just worried about Alex, and considering how close she and Jason are…"

"Yeah fine. But that doesn't change the fact that none of you want me around."

Adam sighed. "Sara, that's not true. I mean, of course we wish that Alex hadn't been taken from us, but that has nothing to do with you and everything to do with the fact that she isn't with us. We just wish we could have met you a different way, that's all."

"Yeah well, you didn't. And I'm always going to be Alex's twin first and Sara second."

"I know it isn't fair. Just give it some time Sara. In time, you'll have your own identity as we notice more and more of your differences."

I laughed lightly. "If that's supposed to be reassuring, it isn't working. The fact is I'm going to be compared to Alex no matter _how_ long it's been. You know that as well as I do. And I'm going to disappoint everyone every time because I'm nowhere _near_ the woman she is."

"No, you aren't. You're just as special in your own right. Yeah, you share a lot of the same things we like about Alex. But you also have qualities of your own that are beginning to grow on us. I love Alex dearly, but there are things about her that drive me crazy. Your approach to life is very different, and I don't know about the others, but I like that about you. And like anyone else, there are things about you that drive me insane too. One of those things is how you tend to be too hard on yourself."

I smirked humorlessly. "Adam, if anything I'm not hard _enough_ on myself. Otherwise I'd have a hell of a lot more waiting for me back home. Considering that my only companion is my word processing program, I'd say room for improvement is an understatement."

I blinked in surprise when he forced me to meet his eyes. "Sara, that isn't true. The guys and I…we like you just as you are. Okay, so maybe you don't trust as easily as most people, but neither do we. Being Rangers, we have to constantly be prepared for every person we meet to be more than they seem. We keep secrets even from the people we know we can trust because we have no choice. You have no idea how good it feels to not have to hide the Ranger part of our lives from you."

Frankly, I had no idea how to react. I knew he was only trying to get through to me, but I wasn't used to being touched in such a personal way. I preferred to think that it was surprise that made my voice so soft.

"I've been such a burden already. How can I ask anyone to just accept that I'm here to stay? Especially when I can't tell anyone the real reason."

"You aren't alone in this secret Sara. I know everything you know." Adam pointed out.

My eyes widened at that. I had forgotten about that. Because of me, he was going to have to lie to his best friends. The Rangers needed to be a cohesive unit to keep Zedd and Rita in check. A big thing like this being kept secret could only backfire in the long run.

"I shouldn't have agreed to let you come." I said softly.

"I would have found a way whether you liked it or not. There are some things one person can't shoulder alone." Adam replied just as softly.

"You can't help me Adam. They need to be able to trust you for the team to function. No matter what happens, you can't let on that you know any more about this than they do."

"And leave you to the lions?"

I held his gaze steady. "You have no choice. There is no teamwork without trust. I won't be responsible for succeeding where Rita and Zedd have failed time and time again. Give me your word that you will keep your peace or I will ask the Power to make sure you remember nothing of our time here." I threatened seriously.

Adam sighed. "Fine. I promise to deny knowledge of what I've learned here. No matter what." He added darkly when I made my glance pointed.

I nodded briskly. "Let's get back."

With that, I stepped past him and began the climb back up to the Temple. I hadn't enjoyed threatening him, but I knew it was the only way to extract a promise. And something told me that he was a man of his word. I also didn't enjoy having to keep him at arm's length. During our small talk last night I had entertained for just one moment the thought that maybe, just maybe I could really start to like Adam. I don't know, maybe it was that stupid little celebrity crush I had always had on him. But a tiny part of me hoped that he might be attracted to me too.

But that wasn't likely to happen now. Getting close to him would only turn the others against him when it became apparent that I knew more than I was telling them. I smiled bitterly. He had been so nice to me. I would miss that. And Rocky. I wasn't even his real sister and yet he tried to be a good brother to me. I supposed I should have just been grateful that I hadn't gotten _too_ used to their companionship. That would have been much worse.

Dulcea looked somewhat relieved to see me enter the ruins. "Are you all right?" she questioned tentatively.

I flashed her a half-hearted smile. "As all right as I can be."

"I am sorry."

I shrugged as I sat back down by the fire. "You had nothing to do with it. So I'm the answer to this prophecy. Now what?"

"Now your training begins. You will be given the power of the Ninjetti so you may remain on the front lines of the fight against evil. But you will be merely an ally, someone to be called upon to aid Zordon's Rangers."

I smirked humorlessly. "Second-string."

"Yes. Until your team is complete, you will not be able to give any but the most basic aid."

I quirked an eyebrow. "My team?"

Dulcea smiled. "The Ninjetti Rangers. They will find you, one by one. It will be up to you to bring them here for their quests."

I understood then. "It wouldn't make much sense to empower only one Ninjetti Ranger. Where there's one, there's generally five more." I nodded.

"Yes. Tomorrow you will learn to defend yourself, both from young Adam and myself. In the meantime, you should both rest. Where is the frog?"

I glanced over my shoulder to indeed find that Adam hadn't followed me up. I lifted one shoulder in an awkward shrug. "I guess he needed a moment or two alone."

Adam's POV

I don't know how long I stood at the bottom of the cliff fuming. I don't like being manipulated. I could understand her point, but threatening to erase who knows how long from my memory was simply cold. All I wanted to do was help her. Keep the burden of her destiny from being too much for her to handle. Was that really so bad? I know we hadn't known each other very long, but I thought we kind of clicked. I really liked her, and didn't like to see her put the world on her shoulders when I could help shoulder the weight.

I sighed loudly and ran my hand through my hair in frustration. As frustrated as it made me, if she didn't want my help there was nothing I could do about it. I just had to hope that she reached out to me or one of the guys when the pressure got to be too much to bear. I looked up and scanned the night sky for where my heart said the Earth was and sighed softly.

"She's so proud Rock. I'm afraid that even if there _weren't_ any danger in accepting my help she wouldn't out of pride. But I promise man, I'll do everything I can to keep her safe."

I took one last look up at the stars and then climbed back up to the temple. Dulcea was nowhere to be found, but Sara was stretched out by the fire, fast asleep. Looking at her with her guard down, I felt my annoyance with her fade somewhat. She looked so vulnerable. I couldn't help but think that she was truly a terrified young girl behind that tough chick act.

"She was worried for you."

I turned around in surprise at Dulcea's soft voice and frowned. "She was? Why?" I asked, careful to keep my voice low.

"You have been gone a long time." the beautiful warrior said with a small smile of amusement. "The panther does care young frog."

I shrugged the comment off. "Could have fooled me. She doesn't even want me here."

"She blames herself for the young raven's disappearance and she also knows that it will not be easy from here on out for either of you. Your friends may not react well to her duty. She only wishes to spare you the same turmoil she herself may face."

"Maybe. But it's too late to worry about that. I know what she was sent here to do and I can't just stand back and do nothing when I can help. I felt the same way when I found out who the Power Rangers were. I didn't become one myself until a little bit later, but that didn't stop me from helping them when I could."

"You have a noble heart Adam. But it is her decision to make. You must wait until she comes to you. I know it will not be easy, but as with any problem, the first step is admitting that one needs help."

I sighed. I knew she was right. But that didn't mean I liked it. "I know."

Dulcea smiled slightly. "Get some rest Adam. Tomorrow you must help me begin her training."

I nodded and walked quietly over to stretch out so that we made a right angle with our heads in the middle. I propped myself up on one elbow facing the fire and watched Sara for a few minutes before giving in to the impulse to lean over and kiss her forehead gently. Sara stirred a little but didn't wake much to my relief. But a little smile curved her lips and that made me smile too before I laid my head down and closed my eyes, letting sleep overtake me.

Sara's POV

It was the smell of food cooking that woke me and I was confused for a few seconds before I recognized my surroundings. I raised my eyes to see that the sky was just beginning to lighten and groaned softly. I was _so_ not a wake-up-before-sunrise person. I noticed an odd sensation of my pillow moving abruptly and thought for a second that the painkillers I had been high on yesterday had an unexpected effect. Then I remembered that I hadn't _had_ a pillow and looked down to see that my head was resting on a black T-shirt.

I was able to curb my panic enough so that I didn't freak out physically, but my brain was _definitely_ freaking out. How on Earth had I ended up using Adam for a pillow? And was that his arm draped over my waist? I carefully slid out from his hold and scrambled back, fighting a blush. I managed not to let my face heat up, but I was terribly embarrassed that I had sought out his body heat during the night.

And oh man, what if he had woken up before I did? I wanted to hide at just the thought of the way he would have reacted after our argument last night. I pushed myself to my feet and escaped to the railing overlooking the Monolith to give myself time to calm down.

"Good morning Sara."

I glanced over my shoulder and nodded to Dulcea. "Morning. When did Adam get back?" I asked curiously.

"Not long after you fell asleep. Did something happen? He seemed troubled when he returned."

I shook my head. "Don't worry about it Dulcea. It won't interfere with training." I said with conviction.

If there was one thing I knew about Adam Park, it was that he put duty first and emotions second. And whether I liked it or not, he was involved in this mess. If I wouldn't let him help me face the others, nothing on either this planet or ours would deter him from helping to train me to defend myself from our enemies.

Dulcea nodded. "I have no doubt of that. But what of your friendship? Would it not make things difficult?"

I shrugged slightly as I turned back to face the jungle. "I'm not sure he could afford to be my friend once the others learn that not all of the battles to come are in Fate's hands."

"Is that not his decision to make?"

I considered that for a while. "Perhaps the best friend I could be to him is to leave him out of this. I know he wants to help. He's a wonderful person and the best friend a girl could ask for. But even if he did face the others with me, he couldn't make the decision whether or not to support me for them. The most it would do is pressure him to make a choice between me and his friends and strain the bond that has proven so effective in defeating Rita and Zedd's plans over the years. Maybe such a test is inevitable. But I refuse to be the one make it immediate. I'd take myself out of the equation before I would ask him to make such a choice." I answered finally.

"That is a difficult decision to make, turning down the help of a good friend. Yet you do not hesitate to do it for the good of the many. Perhaps the Fates chose wisely after all."

"That remains to be seen." I murmured.

I sensed her looking curiously at me, but she didn't comment on my vague answer. It was just as well. I wasn't sure myself which part of her statement I was referring to-doing it for the good of the many or that the Fates chose wisely.

* * *

It's kind of depressing that it took that long to write out what basically ended up being a filler chapter. But I shall prevail, just try to be patient with me. I'll see you guys later, and please consider dropping me a few lines, even if it's just to yell at me for the lateness/shortness of this chapter. 

Jen


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